Anomaly Without Charge
by Td03
Summary: Pass July and an American kid that looks like him entered Hogwarts very late near Hallows Eve. Harry's view had been skewed since he's been slapped as the Boy Who Lied, but his will of ambition rose. Danny, who applied to do Clockwork's requests, was confused at Harry's frequent involvement in his mission in this world. What's so important about him? - Not Slash.
1. Anvil

**Anomaly without Charge**

**Summary#3**: It has been 2 months since that summer, pass July and an American kid that looks like him entered Hogwarts very late near Hallows Eve. Slapped as the Boy Who Lied his perspective skewed, but his will of ambition rose. While Danny, who applied to do Clockwork's requests, was confused at Harry's frequent involvement. Why?

**Summary#2**: 5th year, Danny's 1st day at Hogwarts (new kind of sorting) and he's late. Thrown into this dimension to do some missions for Clockwork and requests from his ghost friends, but with the lack of information, Danny was confused that Harry keeps popping up in his investigations for the things in his list. Get rid of the 'Soul Medium'? What is that supposed to be?

**Summary#1**: Danny, in order to complete some list by Clockwork, had to enter Hogwarts. With the lack of information, Danny was confused as to why Harry Potter keeps popping up in his investigations for the things in his list. He's not sure whether to enjoy his time in the wonderful magic pouring here, or quickly get rid of the 'Soul Medium', which he no idea what it actually is.

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**My take on Danny entering Hogwarts. However, my Danny will have a more deep background, a must rule to me as I will not include the rest of DP characters excluding himself, Clockwork, maybe Dani and Cujo. If you are one of those who love Sam and Vlad and generally the 'gang' *yuck I hate this word*, then prepare to be disappointed in here.**

**More notes from me below- after you read the story of course.**

* * *

**Chapter 1 : Anvil **(1)

Fiddling with his notebook, drawing doodles after writing random things on the previous page, Harry frowned, disappointed at his lack of neat writing skills. From the majority of the school, Harry's writing was quite neat, definitely better than Ron's writing that has similarity with a rooster scratching dirt. Sure, he doesn't really care about having the best writing skills, but, Mate, you can't help but get jealous when you saw your best friends superb, curvy writing skills almost everyday during school.

"Harry, aren't you going to eat?" Hermione asked her best friend. She was proud that Harry had taken up her advice to at least write something everyday to get some form of 'letting ones frustrations out little by little and effectively'.

Harry doesn't want to carry a big book all the time, he had said "no offense" to Mione (2), so he didn't do her advice immediately. It was only after writing in Tom Riddle's diary that Harry started to take up Mione's offer at the end of second year. He didn't want to waste his money, who knows when he might need them. Despite having inherited a huge sum of money, and those were only the Trust Vault, Harry still kept the habit of saving money. And by extension, starving himself and not having all of the proper requirement tools, something Snape loved to point out, saying that The Boy Who Lived spent all his fortune on parties and candies but can't even buy a full set of cauldron. Fortunately, he just so happened to got a little black leather notebook from Neville as his birthday present at the third year. Now, he carried it all the time in his robe pocket, with an ink pen he managed to sneaked in his suitcase, he hid the muggle tool in one of his spare clothes pockets. He wasn't yet quite used with a quill until the end of the second term.

Harry looked at Mione, decided to calm her unnecessary concern. He closed the notebook and pocketed it along with his faithful little silver pen. He looked at the dining table. Even after Ron munching down some plates full as if he breathed them in, the table would always looked too full for him.

He was used to scarce to none. He wasn't used to a big feast or a buffet. Just looking at the many food made him nauseous. The breads reminding him of his Uncle Vernon and the meats and chickens reminding him of his cousin Dudley, while the drinks reminded him of his Aunt Petunia. He was used to eat little food. His stomach wasn't used to digest more. Even after 4 years in Hogwarts, his stomach can't consume more than two full plate and a couple of glass.

So Harry filled his plate with a few meat and chicken, a couple of fruit and butter bread, and a glass of orange juice. Mione is sitting on his right side, Ginny's on his left, and Ron's across him. Fred and George are a couple of spaces on his right. Neville's with the Hufflepuffs.

Harry can safely say he was proud to have so many friends. Friends that actually stick to his side, or at least doesn't antagonize him like the other students who mocked him and labeling him a liar out of irrational fear. I mean, it's just Voldemort, he may be one of the most powerful, but he's not God. If only everyone had the courage to stand up together and not cower in fear (of a name for God's sake!), Tom wouldn't have been able to pick on what little defenses they had one by one.

"But I don't wanna go to school!" A somewhat childish, but older voice rang up, silencing the hall, along with the sound of someone stomping their feet quite forcibly on the ground as if trying to sink them. The voice sounded plainly foreign, if he wasn't wrong, probably a States accent. Harry and many others turned to the door of the Great Hall to see Hagrid dragging a teenage boy by the right hand. The boy is trying his best to run away, to get away from Hagrid's grip, but it was futile. When the two passed Harry could see the boy had a somewhat feminine look, with bluish raven hair, just as messy as Harry's and baby blue eyes. He was kind of thin just like him, and it seems their height is the same too.

"Albus, what is the meaning of this?" Argh. It's that woman from my hearing. Harry winced at her voice, it sounds so forcibly high pitched. Harry had developed good hearing, along with his other senses to sense when his Uncle or Aunt is coming or yelling at him from outside. He was attuned with his five senses, which is why, he was a light sleeper. And with Ron's snoring... he didn't need to hear the Toad looking woman's almost croaking voice.

The Headmaster merely raised his hand to the newly appointed Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, "Relax," he rose, and after a few seconds the Great Hall quiet down. The only sound was made was the new teenager pulling out his arm from Hagrid's grip and his occasional huffing. "Students, may I welcome you all, to our new transfer student, from America, Daniel Fenton."

Some people murmured, making assumptions, gossiping. It's not unfamiliar to have transfer students from another country. What's unfamiliar is the late arrival of the transfer student. They had already sorted the first years and other transfer students from India and Africa an hour ago. Harry was sitting near the top end of the Gryffindor's table. And if he wasn't wrong, he swore he heard Daniel Fenton muttering, "It's Danny... And you so may not."

"Mr. Fenton, if you would please sit on the stool here." Professor McGonagall said, lifting the hat with her.

Danny knew it was futile to try to escape. No, it's not futile, in fact he can escape right at this second. The problem is he can't just up and turn invisible and intangible in front of everyone. He sighed when this half giant man let go of his hand, saying some things about their trip here being unfashionably late. His grip didn't hurt in the least, he had been squeezed to death even worse by Undergrowth, but that didn't mean it wasn't annoying. "What's the hat for?"

"This is the Sorting Hat. A sentient Hogwarts artifact which determines a student and sort you in one the houses you are best suited for. I assume you know about the houses."

"Yeah, sure. Sly's snake, Gry's lion, Huff's badger, Raven's eagle- which I don't understand why by the way." Some laughed, some snickered, some grumbled, some got pissed, while Harry had a grin on his face visible. That was probably the funniest and shortest explanation of the Four Houses he had ever heard.

"Thank you for your elegant description. Now sit, and the hat will sort you."

"Sort me how?" Danny asked while stepping forward. He had purposely made that joke to boost his confidence and hide his nervousness of standing in front of millions of kids staring at him. He hadn't been in the public face as Fenton for a long time. There's better not be some trap hidden magically on that innocent looking four legged chair.

"By Legilimency, the Sorting Hat will interpret your thoughts and base your personality-"

"WHAT?!" Danny's outburst shocked pretty much everyone and he stepped back, only to bump on Hagrid. "That hat's gonna mind rape me?! No way!"

"Please, Mr. Fenton-"

"No!" Danny made a run but he was caught by Hagrid, again. Danny's trashing was cut off when the hat suddenly came to life again and sang, "_Oh you may not think I'm pretty, but don't judge on what you see. I'll eat myself if you find a hat smarter than me. Don't run away, I do not rape mind, mind you. Do give me a chance to at least sort you. So put me on! Don't be afraid! Don't get a flap. Your in safe hands though I have none, for I am a Thinking Cap!_"

Danny stopped trashing, but now he's staring at the battered, old, frayed, dirtily patched up hat which's appearance strangely folded like a face, "... you talk?" Danny blushed a little at his dumb question, but come on... a talking... hat? He could understand talking objects like orbs that speaks telepathically, or a talking sword but... a hat?

"Obviously," the hat would have rolled his eyes if he had them. Danny had known the gist of Hogwarts (_there's seriously a school named 'Hogwarts'? It's like a joint title from a Pig and someone farting_) and the magical world, but he didn't know about a talking hat. He thought he'd be sorted randomly or interviewed or maybe fill a sheet or something! He's not gonna let some foreign hat enter his mind. His secret won't be a secret anymore! What if the hat's a bucket mouth? What if the hat will tell the headmaster or the teachers about his condition? No! He cannot let it read his head!

Danny was dragged by the half giant man- he'll just call him Jumbo- on the stool. Danny stayed still, shutting his eyes hard. Everyone chalked it up as nervousness but the hat, who had lived for millennium, knew it was the most expression that expresses someones complete denial. The hat was placed on him and began his Legilimency. And the majority bathed in anticipation while others couldn't careless, like Ron who is busy stuffing his cheeks.

…

"Albus! Who is this kid!" the Hat suddenly yelled to the Headmaster after 5 minutes of silence and the occasional murmurs of the students.

"This is Daniel Fenton, a transfer student from America. Why?"

"He won't let his mind defense lower! I can't sort him like this!" The hat express his anger. He is the Sorting Hat. And to be denied to sort a student by said student, it was nothing short of infuriating. Many things, negative in general he could deal with, he's old, and he knows, but he had never once experience this... objection. Dumbledore and most of the grown up wizards, and Hermione, was shocked that someone so young could do Occlumency, and one strong enough to object an ancient magical artifact.

"Mr. Fen-" Dumblesore began, but was cut off by Danny's "No!" Danny quickly focused his mind to shut down, to not think of anything other than the picture and every inch of the one thing he knows best of all, the Fenton Thermos.

"_Kid! Just let me in! I give you my word I will not tell anyone of what I will see or hear!_" but the hat was ignored by Danny. "It's no use, Albus! He wouldn't let me!" the hat cried.

"Can't you at least lower it enough for you to see the surface?"

"If I can, I'd already sorted him! From what I can get from before, he seems to dislike going to this school. Why?" The had calmed down considerably and asked.

"Mr. Fenton does not wish to leave his home. It was his guardians wish for him to enroll here."

The hat pauses on Albus' answer. The hat pondered and analyzed all the facts and his hunch. After at least forty five seconds, the hat said, or more accurately, concluded "Well, from what I can tell, he's a Slytherin through and through by how he is keeping me out. Unorthodox, but not insufficient. No flaws whatsoever in his mind defense. But based on his reasons and your answer, he is a Hufflepuff all the way. He's one of the rare 50 50 case. Like young Harry there." Everyone's eyes went to the boy mentioned, and Harry felt a stab of annoyance of their un-privacy considering eyes, and a little anger at the hat for giving him the unwanted attention.

The Sorting Hat never reveals any knowledge he received from the students heads, he had vowed not to, and even if he would, he can't. For he wasn't animated to do that. Even the Headmasters of Hogwarts can never extract any information from the hat.

It was a no known fact that the hat had considered Albus to be in Slytherin. The hat had looked past Dumbledore's Gryffindor traits, and found Slytherin personalities, but after a little more digging, he finally sorted Albus into Gryffindor. Since the millennium of its existence, there were roughly 13 students with a 50 50 case of personality, and Daniel Fenton is the 14th. And Dumbledore is **not**one of them. Albus is a Gryffindor on the outside, a Slytherin on the inside, but a true Gryffindor on the very centre. A 50 50 case is where the hat can not possibly even hope to try and place the student in question in one of the house.

The Hat was animated with the purpose to sort a student in one house that suits his or her character traits and mind and heart and believe the most. But a 50 50 case student had two different sides, all equally suited to two equally different houses.

Not even Dumbledore knew the Hat had considered Harry to be in Slytherin. The only reason Harry was place in Gryffindor was because Harry chose not to be placed in Slytherin.

And now everyone wonders on what house Harry had been considered before being placed Gryffindor. Rumors and gossip floated in the air.

While Harry felt a little sympathy with the new student. He had been told by the hat about the 50 50 case, but at least the hat hadn't told anyone about his offer to be in the Slytherin house. But at least, now he knew Daniel Fenton isn't a typical ''bad'' Slytherin. There is no way a Slytherin can be bad if he or she had Hufflepuff traits, unless their loyalty was blinded by a twisted kind of logic.

"_Kid, will you at least lower your defense, just a tiny bit. So I can sort you._" Danny was going to cut the hat off with an insult when the hat continued, "_I am created with the purpose to sort a student in one house that suits his or her character traits and mind and heart and believe the most. But a 50 50 case student had two different sides, all equally suited to two equally different houses. I can not possibly hope to even place the student in question in one of the house that suits their personality the most, because there are two houses that suits their personality the best._"

The hat was ignored again. But then it inwardly washed in relief when Daniel talked in his mind, '_You'd tell them._'

"_I will not._"

'_How can I trust you to not to?_' Danny growled to it, '_What if you'd just give hints? Or do some signs? Or tell them by looking in their own minds? There's so many loopholes!_'

The hat knew it was futile to make or ask Daniel to lower his defense. The hat had said the boy is suited in either Slytherin or Hufflepuff, but that's only from the outside facts from what he'd seen. He needed to see the inside, but that option is out all things worth. So the hat seeks the best answer to solve the problem, "_If I cannot look into your memories and sort you, how about I asked you a set of questions for you to answer and I'll sort you later based on your answers?_"

Daniel groaned, and unintentionally lowered his mind block a nano-fraction, before bringing it up full of no flaws, but it was enough for the hat to know that Daniel is type who hates school and studying, or at least on the subjects he disliked, which is definitely a lot. So the hat was certain Daniel is no Ravenclaw.

'_Okay.. I guess._'

"_Good, but you will have to answer them a hundred percent honestly. Or I might sort you in the wrong house._" the hat adviced, or warned? Danny didn't really care, but he'll try to answer honestly, lying is becoming a gradual habit for him. But he was pretty sure he won't be sorted in a house that would hinder him for his mission here in Hogwarts- the names sound is leaving a bad taste, I'll just call it a Pig School (**HOG = a castrated male pig for reared meat. Thus the name 'Pig School'**)-, Clocky won't let him, unless it was the Time Masters intention.

_'Fine.'_

_"Good. Firstly, what kind of word would you hate people to call you?"_

_"Traitor. Monster. Killer. Rapist. Abusing Father. Children torturer. Masoc-"_

_"Alright, that's enough." _The hat said. Hmm... a traitor, which means he values loyalty very much, definitely a Hufflepuff. A monster? Then he might have been one of those kids who had been bullied and mocked. A killer? Then those who worries the boy to be a future Death Eater are wasting their precious little time. A rapist? Good, a male who does not degrade the female kind. An Abusing Father... he must be worrying about his future, which is a very Slytherin trait. Children torturer? Funny coming from a kid, but at least he won't go down the same path as the bullies these days. And if he's correct, a masochist? Good. A gentlemen.

_"Second, You enter an enchanted garden alone, would you approach the silver leafed golden apple tree? A couple of dead branches that is talking to each other? The bubbling pool with something luminous swirling? Or-"_

_"The pool."_ Rash, does not wait for every little detail once finding a solution he firmly believed to be the best. The bubbling pool? A person who loves to relax but have fun and adrenaline rushing at the same time. With something luminous swirling in said pool? Then his curiosity knows no bounds, and it appears he have no apparent self-pertaining fear of the possibility that the mysterious glowing thing in the pool might be alive and pose a danger. A somewhat Gryffindor trait, if not for his apparent liking to a moment of relaxation despite him wanting of an adventure.

"_The Headmasters office is being trashed by a troll, which of the following will you save if you can? A cure for dragon pox that is nearly perfected? Irreplaceable legendary items? Student records going back a millennium? A mysterious handwritten book full of strange runes of magic believed to be once belonged to Merlin himself? State your reasons._"

"_The cure obviously. I mean, well I never heard of a dragon pox, but it sounds pretty bad if someone is sick from it. Legendary items and that book would probably contain dangerous information and power. It's been hidden for a millennium right? So I'm pretty sure the world won't miss a few old cheap tokens that they don't even know they still exist. And history records about students is kinda meaningless_." The hat sweatdropped at Daniels answer. His choice for saving an uncomplete cure to a disease he doesn't even know is great, a Hufflepuff's loyalty. The denial for the legendary powerful items is wise, a Ravenclaw. The comment for useless history parchments? Definitely not a Ravenclaw. An he can subdue his curiosity for the mysterious book in a stressful situation, good emotional control.

_"Which of the following would you find most difficult to deal with? Hunger? Boredom? Cold? Loneliness? Ignored?"_

Strangely, Daniel went quiet, so he can control his reckless behaviour before jumping for an answer and think first, a Slytherin. "_Loneliness and Boredom._" So he can deal with hunger, the hat inwardly sighed, just like Harry. The boy must have not been eating much. He can deal with cold, like Harry again, probably exposed to the harsh temperature often enough to not choose it. Boredom? An un-patient young man, common Gryffindor. Loneliness? Again, just like Harry. But he can't deal with loneliness but being ignored he had no problem? One of those kids who wanted to be one with the faceless crowds to not be picked, an effect caused by being bullied, undoubtedly. A Hufflepuff.

_"Next, after you're dead, what would you want people to think of you?"_

_"I don't care what people would think of me when I'm dead, I'm dead. It's when I'm alive that counts."_ A Hufflepuff.

_"And the last question, if you could have any power in this world, what would it be and why?"_ Danny spent no nano-second in thinking of an answer, "_I wanna make people realize their choices before jumping to conclusions and do stupid things._"

The Hat had grasped the reality that Daniel is a selfless person. He had not expected the typical answer of superhuman strength, read minds, fly, and such things coming out of Daniel's mouth. But, that statement was very unexpected. He had almost expected Daniel to say change the past, or the power to heal, or maybe erase hate in this world, or any kind of heroic things. But the power to make people realize their choices? Unheard of.

He remembered Harry's answer to this question years ago, "_I want the power to give people second chances._"

The Hat supposed he should be amused...

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The Sorting Hat yelled after 15 minutes. It was even longer than Harry Potter's sorting. The Hufflepuffs welcomed their new house member, Slytherin quality aside.

... for the moment.

* * *

(1) Anvil is an iron block on which a blacksmith puts hot pieces of metal before shaping them with a hammer.

(2) Am I the only one who likes it when Harry called her 'Mione? I have a fetish for nicknames.


	2. Compatible Compounds

**Anomaly without Charge**

**Summary**: 5th year, Danny's 1st day at Hogwarts (new kind of sorting) and he's late. Thrown into this dimension to do some missions for Clockwork and requests from his ghost friends, but with the lack of information, Danny was confused that Harry keeps popping up in his investigations for the things in his list. Get rid of the 'Soul Medium'? What is that supposed to be?

**Nikki Pond**** mentioned that she (or he?) thought that the Hat had mentioned Danny being Sly and Huff but it was supposed to be confidential. I'd like to make it clear that the Hat, at the time, wasn't certain that Sly or Huff WAS really Danny's nature. It was just guesswork, in-solid, so it wasn't obliged to keep it secret.**

**I was close to abandoning this, because I don't understand how to set Danny in this universe that won't go all school drama. At first, I picked Book Five because it has the least major events, since it mostly focus on Umbridge's terrain. But after _really_ understanding and removing my… hateful side, I figured that Book Five is actually the- how do I put it? It's the real catalyst of the war, not Dumbledore's death. It's the book after Voldemort's return, and after watching Akame ga Kill and Magi's Kou Empire, I understood the political potential in this book.**

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**Chapter 2: Compatible Compounds**

**Danny Fenton**

Have you ever decided to dedicate yourself to study a subject to make your folks proud, but in the end you couldn't even write a sentence without making stupid doodle on the corner page of your notebook?

That's what Danny's feeling right now, he cracked his mind open miserably as he did a damn good job staring straight, pretending to pay attention to the pink shrimp.

He get that lecturing is very hard when you a) have no desire to waste your time teaching snot-nosed brats b) don't have the perfect confidence required for public speaking and c) very insecure of how you sound.

But Umbridge, _oh, she_ was perfectly confident of her voice she didn't realize that her students actually hated it. She's not afraid if her trotting around in her red high heels tapping the ancient floor is disturbing. And she made it perfectly clear that she was _so delighted_ to have the opportunity to teach the next generation and bla bla bla.

He can handle the fake praise on how smart we students are, what he can't stand is that she had been ranting on and on about how wonderful the ministry is and how desperate they are to help us students learn and _Oh God_.

If there was one thing he hated the most right now, it would be incompetent and super biased teachers that is ranting in a repetitive manner of a lesson that you _know_ it would be completely useless for your future.

By the end of the seventh year he'd out of this castles full of- not princess and knights- but pompous assed students that think humans are beneath them.

He bet they can't even use a pen. Hell, they had the audacity to say wizards are at the top of the food chain when they can't even figure out how to use a sharpener and wearing old robes. Compare _that_ to nowadays bio-suits.

He supposed, in terms of direct, personal confrontation wizards are better in terms of power. But if there's a war, all humans have to do is throw a nuclear bomb.

Whatever, he had no business with their arrogance bred by corrupted ministry. He had stuff to do.

Then there was a knock on the door. "Daniel Fenton?" A meek chubby kid came into the room, "Professor Sprout sent me to get you."

"And what for does she need my student, Mr. Longbottom?" Umbridge asked too sweetly, but it only made Neville more nervous, "I have no idea, Professor. She only told me to escort Fenton."

It was apparent that the Ministry-approved teacher was reluctant, but she let it be, "Fine. You have my permission. Hurry up and clear your business Mr. Fenton." She dismissed and sat down, took a sip from her girlish tea cup and spread the quiet, awkward silence across the room in full expectations that the students would only read and do absolutely nothing more.

In the many hallways of the castle, Danny walked alongside with Mr. Longbottom, trying to strike up at least not wasteful conversation, "No idea whatsoever really?"

"Well, I think it has something to do with your schedule. But I'm not sure."

"Okay. Speaking of which, don't you have your own class to go to? Why are you out?"

"I'm told to. I messed up with Professor Snape for blowing up my cauldron and I have to clean myself from the Famite's blood and lion fish spines. Professor Sprout saw me coming out of the bathroom and told me to get you."

Danny grimaced at the ingredients names. He had to at least pretend to not be clueless. Clockwork didn't exactly give him any information but a list of what he had to find and do here. Most the stuff he read in the book Umbridge told him to read went out of his head. He had to study on his own in his spare time. "Do you regularly blow up your cauldron? Sna- Professor Snape is… what subject does he teach?" He lowered his voice to hide his carelessness, he hadn't bother to memorize the names.

"Oh, he's the Potions Professor. He's the Head of the Slytherin House. And no, I don't blow it up all the time. Sometimes, yes, but Seames too."

"Who's Seames?"

"My friend, Gryffindor too. So, have you made any friends yet, Fenton?"

The Halfa smiled with a touch of bitterness, "Not yet. I did just arrived last night."

"Why do you enter Hogwarts now, anyway?" Was it just him or did Neville sound scared? Danny stopped in his tracks and so was Neville, "I don't mean to frighten you, but you picked the worst possible time to come to Britain, not counting in the middle of the first semester."

"What do you mean?"

Neville seemed like the epitome of nervous right then, "Harry Potter and the Headmaster said that You-Know-Who came back last year, but no one believed them. Right now, the majority is against the two, calling them senile since it is known world-wide that You-Know-Who's dead 15 years ago."

"You-K-"

"Ah, there you are!" Professor Sprout- Danny's Head of House came out from the corner somewhere and spotted them, "Mr. Longbottom, what took you so long?"

"Ah! I was just talking with Fenton here. I'll be on my way now."

"What class you are supposed to go now?"

"Potions, but I got kicked out because I blew up my cauldron again. So I'll have to wait until The Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw are done with DADA."

"Alright, stay out of trouble. Now, come along Mr. Fenton. I have to speak with you about something."

Professor Sprout and Danny then walked to her office, and once seated, she showed him Danny a sheet of paper.

"…My timetable. What's wrong with it?"

She put it down, "Before I came to the problem here, I should clear something first. Mr. Fenton, you arrived to Hogwarts not since first year, but at the fifth year and late by approximately 9 weeks, yes?"

"For the record, I don't even want to go to school. But circumstances made me so." Since he lived with Clockwork, he had nothing really exciting to do. With no constant peer pressure, his ghost fights are getting easier and easier every day. He only came here to do the usual errands the Time Master assigns him that needs his presence in other timelines.

"I am aware of that. You made it very clear before, but that is not the issue... I hope?"

"No. No, it's fine. I'm just lazy. I meant no offense to the school." Maybe he bended that a bit.

She nodded, in relief? "Good. Now, I provided you with the essentials and gave you your timetable last night but you see, at third year, every student is required to apply to- at least two elective courses. So before tomorrow came, I will need your applications to two or more subjects."

"Do I have to? Can't I just… not apply? I mean, that way I'd get more free time to catch up with the fifth year materials, plus I'm not very familiar with magic since a few months ago," _more like since yesterday's morning when Clockwork just pop in to my lair and told me to go to this dimension._

She only gave him sympathy, "I apologize, but it's the school's rule since the Foundation. You may be exempt from the rest of the classes for the day to think of what electives you'd want. But this is for one time only, don't think I'll let you slack off regularly. Now, off you go, it's lunch time."

"Okay, thanks Prof. Er, Professor."

* * *

**Harry Potter**

It would be sort of poetic in a way, if Harry starts to write to write a book describing this landscape. How such a beautiful plateau leading towards one of the darkest forest in Britain could not calm his anger at practically everything.

It had been 2 months in this school, one of the very few places in the world that made Harry feel belonged. It's been 4 months since last year.

How that one last event made him want to crawl into deepest part of the Forbidden Forest and have a deranged tea party with Hagrid's old friend, Aragog. He won't even fear the Acromantula, after witnessing a full ritual of some stranger's bones melting, his shoulder stabbed with that coward Wormtail and the dark ink substance spewing Tom's new body.

He shouldn't be thinking about passing biscuits with the arachnid, he should be studying for his Astronomy test tomorrow. But his brain is all crap! First the never ending nightmare since Tom's return and now the full blown confusion of _why_. Why did those Dementors roaming in his neighborhood? Why do the Order keeping him in the dark of whatever Tom's after? Why is the Ministry denying his and Dumbledore's claim so blatantly, basically giving Tom free reign? Why is Dumbledore _avoiding_ him?

Then he heard a crack of twigs. Small branches, but he was in a state of peace and quiet his ear couldn't miss it.

Faster than the last time as always, Harry drew out his wand from his sleeve and almost attacked Hermione.

"Mione? But I thought I saw you back in the Clock Tower?" He put his wand back and stick it in his sleeve with a neat charm he learned from Fred.

"…I was. B-but then I came here- then- I…" Hermione wasn't the one to do incoherent stammering, and Harry understood her.

"Oh! Oh, I get it. It's okay, I think, nothing surprising and dangerous happening here. You can go to your… Arithmancy class, right? I'll do my role here." With that he sat down and moodily stared at the Hagrid's garden below. Those bright orange pumpkins taking space where Buckbeak was supposed to sleep and eat and play.

"Alright, I heard Professor Vector is a bit late, I can catch up before her. We should research about this, though!"

"Maybe just you. I'll do what I can to help, but I already have 3 electives this year, and I'm not used to heavy studies like you."

"It's okay, I understand. See you later, Harry!"

After her class was done, Hermione meet up with Harry and Ron in the library. They decided to study together- all three, not just her and Harry occasionally and Ron reluctantly- for their Astronomy test tomorrow.

"Boys! I thought we agreed to study until the next class! Not for 5 minutes!"

"But, Hermione, we are studying."

"Playing an astronomy version a wizard's chess is NOT studying! Give it to me!" The girl remembered to lift the game by its board, as its pawn would only cut her fingers if she forcefully picked it up.

"Sorry, Mione, I just got a lot in my mind. I can't concentrate well." Harry smiled bitterly and opened his text book again, trying really hard to digest them.

"Don't be such a pessimist, Harry. I know what you're thinking, but you really need to see the light in all of this. Dumbledore kept quiet for your own good."

"So by keeping me in the dark, he thinks I won't find the train that'll lead me to my answers?" He threw his book on the table in frustration.

"Harry, you're not gonna go to a bloody adventure again to find some weird creatures, are you?" Ron shivered, remembering exactly how dangerous Harry's curiosity is, following a bunch of creepy, innocent spiders only to find giant, not so innocent acromantulas.

"I'm not exactly an optimist who sees the light at the end of the tunnel."

"Well, we're not a pessimist who only sees a dark tunnel either, Mate."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at the rare intelligent wordplay Ron said, and can't help herself to not follow her friends by quoting a similar one, "So you think we're realists who can see the freight train?"

"And the train operator sees three idiots standing on the tracks."

Harry huffed at the mood-kill, and boringly glared at the newcomer, "Wow, thanks, Malfoy. You saved the three idiots from getting run over. What do you want us to do? Worship you with lion mane?"

The Malfoy heir merely sneered at him, "I'd rather have you skin dragons scales than touch my snakes. You should study, Potter, everyone knows you need luck to pass some paper sheet."

"And yet my grades are better than the Head Boy, aren't they?"

"Shut up, Scarhead." With the name-calling card pulled, Harry knew he had won. Draco then gave him several papers, "Professor Snape gave me the results of our last paperwork. Here's yours." With that, Draco Malfoy's temporary alliance with Harry Potter in Potions class ended. Draco left, while the latter-mentioned took a quick glance at the paper Malfoy gave him, "...E. I got an E for my project with Draco."

"That's great! But, why do you look sullen?"

Harry sighed as loud as possible in a library and stood up, and began to collect the various books and papers he brought and borrowed, "I just don't know if the grade was genuine or it was the most and last time Snape would ever grade me with." He turned around only to bump into someone and all his stuff fell.

"Oh, man. I'm so sorry!"

American accent? "You're... the transfer student right?"

The ice blue eyed boy rubbed the back of his neck, "Heh, Danny. Danny Fenton. Sorry for making a mess, um…"

"Harry Potter."

"Sorry, Harry." Danny knelt down and helped him gather the jade green eyed boy's papers. So, this is the famous Harry Potter everyone says a liar… but he doesn't seem to be an attention seeker to him. In any case, maybe he-

Danny stopped when he accidentally glimpsed at one of Harry's paperwork, "What's wrong?"

Only response he got was a snicker, "Look, man. This is all okay, but you're just being ridiculous in the end. Europa's covered in _ice_, not mice." Having saying this, Danny couldn't help but laugh at him as loud as possible in a library.

Harry flushed a bit and was going to take it but Hermione beat him to it. When she finished evaluating his homework, "Harry, I think this is a really good time to review your star chart." Then she beamed at Danny, "Hello! I'm Hermione Granger. Do you want to study with us? You seem to have a good eye for Astronomy."

"Really? Does the first thing you say to a new student is if they want to study?" Ron moaned.

"You're studying Astronomy? Maybe I can help? It's my favorite subject." Oh yeah, time travelling and a chance to ride Apollo 11 was the best birthday present Clockwork gave him.

"Thank you so much, Danny." Hermione gushed and shoved the two to sit on the chair, "We have a test tomorrow. We have to fill a blank star chart and write an essay about facts of Jupiter's moons."

"So what's the problem? Jupiter's moons' distinctions are pretty easy to read."

"We have to fill a star chart too, and there's no hint of which part we have to draw. So it could be any part of the constellations from May, June and July. And what do you mean Jupiter only has a few moons? It has more than 80!" Ron said.

"Actually, Jupiter has 67 moons. But most of them are considered irregular satellites, so if your teacher said to write a full essay of its moons he probably means the main group and inner satellites, which is only 8."

"Um, she. It's Professor Aurora Sinistra." Hermione corrected, but then frowned, "So you're saying only the Galilean and Almathea group will be included? How can you be so sure?"

Danny just shrugged, "My exam of that in the norm- muggle world has the same demand, and it's pretty stupid to tell students to memorize the names of 67 moons and all of Virgo's, Libra's and Scorpio's constellations."

Danny recalled his experience of voyaging around the largest planet of Milky Way, "Io's volcanic, Europa's icy, Callisto's full of craters and holes, while Ganymede's the only moon that has its own internally generated magnetic field. Metis is an irregular red, Andastrea's the smallest, Amalthea's similar to Metis, but larger and had porous water of ice, and Thebe is the same to Amalthea, but has high mountains. Those are what Astronomy test always include in school, not all of the characteristics of 67 moons. What if they have another test next?"

"I guess so." Hermione was happy to find someone who's so smart. "Speaking of which, Harry, don't you have another test tomorrow?"

Harry, who had been paying half of his attention to them and half to find the Almathea's page, didn't look up when he muttered 'Ancient Runes'.

"What's Ancient Runes?" Danny's question was met with confused glances by them.

"You don't know what the elective covers?" Hermione asked.

"Electives? Can you make that clear to me?" He pulled out his timetable, "I'm… pretty new to magic. No one really explained it to me. They just think I already know what it is and told me to pick a couple since I skipped third gra- year."

"Oh, well that's bad. So you're a Muggleborn?"

"I'm pretty sure my parents don't know magic."

"Well, how to keep it simple… Hogwarts have 10 core subjects, and every third years and up have to take up at least 2 electives, and if they want one of the 10 extra-curriculars." Hermione explained.

"Well, I'm gonna be pretty busy catching up the core lessons, so I probably shouldn't take an extra. What're the electives?"

"There are seven. But we can only take up Alchemy and Apparation in sixth year. My favorite is Arithmancy."

"_Math_ is an elective? I thought that would be the most important subject." Don't get him wrong. He was esthetic. That means he doesn't have to do math.

"It's more of studying the magical applications of math to predict the future based on numerology. It mostly covers the magically powerful prime number 7."

"Why seven?"

"It has to do with prophesies, which leads us to the next elective, Divination." Her tone didn't really do a good job at hiding the disdain. Glancing at her apparent friends, Danny found Ron (they introduced each other before) sharing a look with Harry.

"Prophesy? You mean using crystal balls and predicting the future?" that has got to be the most cliché thing here.

"It's a load of crap, Mate. All the teacher ever does is makes us look into the ball and if we say we see in the future of how we would die, we passed the class." Ron made sure Madam Pince didn't hear him.

"Ron, I get that it seems like it, but don't you think Professor Trelawny deserves some credit?" _She did warn me about Sirius. That has got to be something, _"If it's as useless as that, Divination won't be considered a subject at all."

"Does it focus on theories or something?" Danny hoped not. He was trying to pick the least theoretical based subjects.

"Not exactly. I'm sure either, but I think it's about linking our magic with time and try to decipher it. I don't know how to explain it, I just… feel it might be the future outcome or not, I guess." Harry finished lamely. But Danny was hooked to it. Divination doesn't sound stressful, and he had plenty of time with the Time Master. If it's hard, at least he could come up with some rubbish based if what Ron said is true.

"Okay, Divination. What's next?"

"Try Care of Magical Creatures. It's about studying how and to take care of magical creatures like fire crabs and unicorns. The-"

"There's a unicorn?"

Hermione laughed, "A whole bunch of them I hear. I had the same reaction when I read about it in first year too."

"I think I'll take it…"

"I took Divination and Muggle Studies. Don't take Muggle Studies. You'd excel the class being muggle raised." Ron said.

"I won't. It sounds boring."

"To you."

"Last is Ancient Runes. I got my O.W.L. one year early, so I stopped taking it to focus more on Arithmancy and Care of Magical Creatures, my extra Ancient Studies and Magical Theory."

"T-That's great." _Maybe too much_, "But what's the last one again?"

"Ancient Runes covers twenty-one thousand different runes and symbols, deciphering runic scriptures and researching Runology. It's mostly a theoretical subject that studies the ancient runic scripts of magic."

'Sounds like a slave driver,' but voiced, "Sounds interesting. You're good at that?"

"I haven't practiced much on it lately, if you're taking it you should ask Harry. He's brilliant in that and most practical subjects!"

"Wow… you guys seem smart. I probably won't be able to catch up."

"Only smart one here is Hermione."

"Harry's a better wizard."

"You're good too, Ron."

"'Good'."

'Maybe best friends really do argue with each other,' Danny thought, already knowing about 'The Golden Trio' as some of his dorm mates whispered back in the common room, "Well, in any case, thanks guys."

"Bye, Danny. And good luck with your studies here!" Hermione wished.

Once Danny was out of the library though, "He seems friendly enough." Harry remarked.

"I don't see anything snakey about him." Ron seconded.

"It could be an act? What are the chances of a cunning student coming into Hogwarts while unaware of Hogwarts electives?"

"You think he's lying about being a muggleborn?"

"I'm not sure, but he seems really clueless on that." Then she frowned, "maybe we shouldn't be suspicious of him, Ron. Not all Slytherin's are bad, and it looks like he much more of a Hufflepuff. He's nice. I think we should cross him."

"We are not crossing _anyone_ off the list." Harry stated firmly, "We all know that several members of the Ministry have the Dark Mark, or part of the Outer Circle of DE. I know Tom. He wouldn't limit his connection to the ministry only- he'd make the rumors true. He'd make the Slytherin students be part of his Death Eaters."

"Yes, but you just said it- Slytherins. Danny is a Hufflepuff."

Harry frowned. He didn't want to tell them about his nightmares, about the many, many non-Slytherin men and women he never knew have the Dark Mark. He recognized one of them, and Ron wouldn't like that fact. _Fact. _He knew the link birthed to him through the ritual. He'd have to deal with it without involving them, or they'd know about his dreams. Now how to explain this? Oh, yeah…

"What about Wormtail? That bloody Pettigrew was Gryffindor, yet he's Voldemort's- quit flinching, already! Fine!- Tom's servant."

That shut their arguments up. Right now, he needed to fish out any supporters of Voldemort in Hogwarts. He should get another similar journal. His fifth little black book is getting filled with his doodles of idle everyday homework and stress notes along with his list of Tom's supporters…

Not far from Hufflepuff's common room, Danny took out a small parchment that was stuck on the foot of Harry's chair, that had elegant curves written upon it that spelled,

_Watch out for Harry Potter. CW._

* * *

**I'm just really tired with the many fictions either making Danny solo Voldemort and act like a know-it-all ass or overly friendly with the Golden Trio or with the Slytherin. I'm trying to make this a little realistic, okay? I mean, this is a SCHOOL, so only way to normally introduce Danny to the Headmaster is to make Danny having some form of friendship with the student who is close to the Headmaster, which is Harry.**

**Oh, and the astronomy thing. When I write Danny Phantom, I became to love Astronomy too so I sort of can't help but to include them in the story. Sorry if I sound like a know-it-all there.**

**And the reason why I included explanations for the subjects, well, I'm making this a scenario where Danny have absolutely no idea about magic and Hogwarts and the wizard. This story is like… Alice waking up in Resident Evil, but without amnesia. She had no idea of The Hive, The Red Queen, Umbrella Corps, but she has to do something in these places. That's Danny's circumstances here. Plus, I'm kinda pissed at how some authors making explanations of the subjects half-heartedly, or making it a part of introduction, or generally using know-it-all tone or with a babysitter's style.**

**I finished it in less than 2 days… more than 4 hours max like I used to. This exam week is numbing my brain. Well, thankfully, Chem and P.E. will commence in Monday, and I'd finish Math and Culture in Tuesday. By then…. I'M AN ELEVENTH GRADER! 1 more year to college! (I don't know if I should celebrate or weep)**


	3. Fishing for Ink

**Anomaly without Charge**

**Summary#3**: It has been 2 months since that summer, pass July and an American kid that looks like him entered Hogwarts very late near Hallows Eve. Slapped as the Boy Who Lied his perspective skewed, but his will of ambition rose. While Danny, who applied to do Clockwork's requests, was confused at Harry's frequent involvement. Why?

**Summary#2**: 5th year, Danny's 1st day at Hogwarts (new kind of sorting) and he's late. Thrown into this dimension to do some missions for Clockwork and requests from his ghost friends, but with the lack of information, Danny was confused that Harry keeps popping up in his investigations for the things in his list. Get rid of the 'Soul Medium'? What is that supposed to be?

**Summary#1**: Danny, in order to complete some list by Clockwork, had to enter Hogwarts. With the lack of information, Danny was confused as to why Harry Potter keeps popping up in his investigations for the things in his list. He's not sure whether to enjoy his time in the wonderful magic pouring here, or quickly get rid of the 'Soul Medium', which he no idea what it actually is.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Fishing**

**Danny Phantom**

He rubbed the back of his neck that had been tense with all the thinking, and went inside the common room after briefly whispering the password- after mentally slapping himself again for almost going intangible.

The common room looks like one of those cozy living rooms that gave off the feeling of safety and warmth. They're mostly yellow and brown here, probably to go with the tie and banner.

"-t's fine. Don't tell them. I can take care of myself."

"But, Anna- This is serious. She's out of the line. We can speak."

"Then we'll be questioned. I don't want pity. I can handle it, Su."

"But you'll-" Susan Bones cut herself off when she noticed Danny's presence, "Oh. Hi, Danny!" the short blondish red haired witch waved cheerily, destroying any suspicion of her previous distressed state.

"Hi, S-Su…" he trailed.

Susan planted her hands on her hips and huffed indignantly, "Oh, honestly. I just introduced myself to you last night and you already forgot my name? How could you!"

"I apologize, Your Highness," thickly said with a mocking tone, "I wasn't exactly on my best shape last night. You guys just started rambling over what I need and what I should do- there's a lot in my mind and no room to remember details."

"So my name is not significant enough for details? I'll have you know, the Bones family is one of the Common Lords in Wizengamot!" Susan wasn't one of those who flaunt her family status, but she was itching to tease the seemingly clueless teenage boy.

He was lost at the Wizz. "Okay, okay, I remember! Susan Bones! And… Anna Abbott?"

Now it was the short reddish blonde haired girl to imitate Susan's pose, "It's Hannah!" Then they both turned a one-eighty and giggled, "But you can call us Anna and Su, I suppose. You're not much for formality, are you?"

He grimaced, "Well, don't hold it against me. You're the ones who were clingy with names. So, what were you two arguing about?"

"The DADA Professor." "Nothing." The two girls looked at each other.

He raised an eyebrow, "Am I prying? Should I go?"

"No! No, we didn't mean that. It's- It's Professor Umbridge's… teaching methods."

Danny took a seat on a single armchair as they claimed the sofa again, "Tell me about it. That was the worst lesson I have ever got. And it's my first class in this place. Not exactly the best first impression. I'm dreading what the other teachers are going to be."

"I'm sorry if your impression here is bad, but she's not exactly a Hogwarts teacher, you know?"

"Then why is she teaching here?"

Susan frowned a bit at his apparent lack of knowledge. "You really ought to catch up to recent news. Professor Umbridge is a Ministry approved teacher Headmaster Dumbledore hired to fill in the Defense Against the Dark Arts post this year. Since it's cursed, I don't think she'll last in the position until next June."

"Cursed?"

Hannah stood up and took a few thick books from a nearby shelf. "It's said that the DADA post is cursed. No one knows what it is, but every year there's going to be a new professor for the post either due to some accident falling upon the current teacher."

His eyebrows showed up, "If that's the case, then why is it still open in the roster? Who the heck would take a job that guarantees pain?"

"DADA is arguably the most crucial subject. You can't exactly get rid of it, as it would hinder the basic purpose of opening a school for magic. Besides, the post is highly paid, you can't complain with that these days." Susan took a book for herself, "Anyway, which electives are you taking, Danny?"

"Oh! Oh! I signed up for Care of Magical Creatures and Muggle Studies. While Su takes Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. That way the two of us can trade notes and study all four courses effectively. My idea is so brilliant, right?"

"Uh-huh. Very modest."

She lightly hit his shoulder, "Well?"

"Creatures and Divination. By the way, where is Professor Sprout's office? I'm supposed to hand over my elective forms- oh, and tell the other teachers that I'm exempt from classes today. She told me to use the day to catch up."

"Oh, we're having Herbology next right? We'll hand in the papers, bye, Danny!" Hannah took his forms and ran out with Susan, who had been lightly panicking over the clock (1).

"…bye." He muttered to thin air, but his sulkiness was ruined by the slow stretch of a mischievous smirk forming on the corner of his mouth.

Quickly coming to the conclusion that no one was currently in the common room, he made a half dozen clones. Making any more than 4 usually drains him real quick, but he was not in immediate danger any time soon.

Not ever since that day.

Created with the sole purpose to go to the library and read everything about the subjects he'll take tomorrow, namely Potions, Charms and Herbology, with the electives of Care of Magical Creatures, the six clones turned incorporeal and went to complete their short, one track purpose in life.

He was free for the day, Susan would tell the others if they bother him. Recalling that the right corridor leads to the boys dorm, Danny went to his four poster bed, limping his head to his shaded yellow pillow, not bothering to cover himself with his honey brown blanket, relishing the cold air kissing his skin from a window he left open.

* * *

**Harry Potter**

He sighed in content with the knowledge that everything was going well. Only in two month he had raised the curtains that had closed the sweet memories for one and a half decade. Pale hand- reformed- tinged with blue by the dimly lit corridor twisted the door knob to-

Harry gasped once his anticipation of desire burned the lines, making them visible as the red string that conjoined the reality and the knowledge that everything he saw was nothing but mere dream.

He might as well whimper. His nightmares are about a corridor. Though he couldn't call it nightmare anymore, as the only thing he had felt recently in the dream was merely giddiness- _desire_\- to know what's behind the door that had haunted his dreams ever since last summer.

Calming down helped him regain his senses back, and he could hear Ron snoring across, and Dean and Seamus light ones. Looking out of the window he sees that the sky was dark. Automatically searching for his glasses, he noted the moon had shied away from view.

Recalling the previous events that happened before he promptly fell asleep out of exhaustion, he scrunched his nose in disdain as he remembered his arguments with the Ministry approved DADA teacher, and the detention that followed. It was nothing that warrants him to tire so quickly, but the fact that he had- again, fought with Seamus, being half convinced to just shut his traitorous mouth by using _Accio _on his _friends' _lips, had made his mind scramble in heaps at the sudden creative thought of turning such a useful little charm for something so hypocritically traitorously repulsive.

Being awake while the others are heavily tucked in didn't help. What with the situation made him think of one those horror stories he come up to tell little Ginny about murder in bed.

Shuddering at that, he decided that it was best for him to do something productive, as sleeping had no longer been an option since summer.

* * *

**Danny Fenton**

It was one of the most horrible experiences he endured quite daily. That stupid stinging prick on his neck whenever he slept on the school desk. He wondered what kind of lecture did Lancer-

This isn't his usual smooth desk. This is concrete.

Opening his eyes, and quickly adjusting to the darkness, he found himself lying flat on the ground. What is he doing? He tried to push himself up- keyword: trying. His hand passed through the cemented floor, and he realized that he had gone intangible and soared through his bed, right down to whatever this corridor leads.

Greattttt, first day a hat entered his mind. And second day he got himself lost.

He hummed. The thought of just flying back up straight came, but he was honestly enjoying himself. Where would the fun in that be anyway? Besides, he can't always rely on his ghost powers after all.

What a poor reasoning, considering his circumstances.

'Might as well map the place,' he thought as he turned off his intangibility, and began to walk through the corridor with perfect gracefulness as if he's walking outside under a well cloudy day and not in a most likely underground dungeon lit with by nothing but torches.

* * *

**Harry Potter**

It was strange being like in this state. He could feel the cold of the wind, but he wasn't touched by it. With the dust and stray ripped leaves, the wind was visibly passing through his body, but Harry himself was aware that the wind isn't _touching_ him. It was always one of the little mysteries he wondered in peace. How does the cloak actually worked? What is it made of?

He had used the invisibility cloak to the point of daily to explore Hogwarts grounds. Mostly in the Restriction section, where he'd search book for book and read title to title that indicated anything about the cloak, about the scar, about the mark, about almost anything he deemed important.

Other times, he'd use it to sneak out at night, and watch the moon and the stars move and examine how the trees' blood slowly leaked into the leaves, until it stiffen and crunched on the ground that must have been a traumatizing canyon they were fated to die in.

Recently though, he'd put it to good use of spying Umbridge. Normally, he won't bother stalking suspicious people that he wasn't certain to have any connection to Tom, but last week, she used blood quills.

(_Now, Harry. Make sure I don't get another report of you breaking the Statute of Secrecy, aye? Dementors in Azkaban aren't as nice as writing with blood quills- that's the utensils you saw my ministers burned. Illegal stuff. Off you go now._)

He never told anyone. As much as how lovable it is when Umbridge was flunked as a ministry using illegal means to discipline a student, the authorities would look into the matter and she, including everyone at class present that day, would tell them that Harry Potter started arguing about the return of You-Know-Who, and right now, his words could be a major loophole for her defense.

He was pretty good with potions, but not exactly brilliant either. He probably would have, but with Snape pestering his nerves it was unlikely to be anytime soon- he rather preferred Runes. Almost everyone there and the teacher were nice.

He sneaked a few drops of sopophorus beans in the tea he found out she regularly used to drink before going to bed. She wasn't a heavy sleeper like he suspected arrogant people to be, as proved when she woke up briefly when Harry once gasped at finding his personal files registered in the ministry in her drawer- careless of her, not hexing the thing from intruders, he found out when he checked any residue.

Those files were rubbish though, just his official academic data. The only reason he knew she was keeping an eye on him is because he found some cut up newspaper regarding his and Dumbledore's slanted social status beneath several ministry approved teacher position for her.

A few drops should keep her sleeping for 8 to 10 hours. He was tempted to give her the full effect of Draught of the Living Death but Pomfrey would find out what she ingested, and that would lead to investigations.

(_I've done my check-ups, and I can't help but notice- you consumed some gillyweed, didn't you, Mr. Potter?_)

Opening the drawer beneath her upper one, he found it locked, just like yesterday but he had spent too much time to read through her letters to Fudge only to discover pointless pleasantries and prejudiced opinions. Murmuring a low '_Alohomora_', Harry found the drawer to be full of pink fluffies.

Some grown-up.

Locking it again with a reversing spell, he left Umbridge's private quarters. Curfew was at ten, Filch would stay up until midnight like most teachers, so the students had healthy hours to sleep until seven. With his nightmares however- Harry considered them 'dreams' now, as he had them every night since then- he had an easy time to wake up after 2 hours of sleeping, spent another 2 to 3 to get any information from the teachers that seems to always keep the students form knowing something important that happens outside of Hogwarts, and sneaked back to his bunkers and get a last 4 hours of sleep. Not exactly healthy, but he get 6 hours relatively, which is not good enough to be considered 'sick'.

Try to tell him that next morning.

Already raiding everything in her drawers since last week, Harry wasn't really in the mood to find any paperwork in her bedroom currently, so he decided to end his scavenging early. Closing her light pink door quietly, he reversed the lock and ran straight to Gryffindor tower.

The night would have ended there if Harry didn't manage to spot Draco- not as stealthy as his cloak- talking to someone through a two-way mirror in hushed tones.

As someone whose life were exposed to the world by the media since barely a toddler, he had not much respect for other people's privacy unless it was very delicate- and since Malfoy is a git and is mostly likely not arguing with a girl or something along those things, Harry didn't have any internal debate on whether or not to listen in.

Taking advantage of Draco's panicked state, and the noise some of the portraits made- they were playing cards with colorful languages. It's no wonder Dumbledore kept reprimanding their tongue- Harry easily escaped the Slytherin's notice beneath his cloak. His footsteps unheard of under the Silencing charm Harry used before routinely.

"Just take the portkey I provided. I shall take care of the rest." Is that… Lucius?

Harry very much disliked Lucius. While the man had never directly hurt him, he made Ginny suffer. He might say he hated him, but he didn't know enough of the man and hasn't exactly got the chance to talk to beyond subtle threats, bored look facing his sneers. Plus, the man's influence is the reason Draco's so dependent on his wealth.

"I don't want you to take care of everything! I can do it on my own!" Okay, maybe Draco's not as dependent as in first and second years.

"I know. But you're still a child, talented, but you can make a mistake. The Dark Lord does not tolerate mistakes. Let me help you, Draco." What are they talking about?

"No! I don't want you to suffer another Cruciatus curse. Mum is sick enough. I don't need you to be rid in bed." Harry grimaced at that. Whenever Tom felt angry or terribly frustrated, Harry could be swept in his mind and look through his perspective- torturing his followers whenever they brought bad news. Harry might consider it a good thing to know what he's doing, if he can actually get to hear the whole conversation and not just flashes of men and women in pain.

He could always tell Dumbledore to get rid of this… connection he discovered to have with Tom, but that would backfire. Quickly. After knowing the Ministry of Magic had openly denied his claim of Tom's return, he was reluctant to add more problems on Dumbledore's plate about the odd dream he got at the night of that day. And after knowing the Order's existence… no. They'd shut him out, just like the Ministry shut him out immediately despite Fudge's constant praising a few hours before the third task. They might label him Tom's loophole, and won't update him with anymore news. He can't afford that rejection with such little, insignificant news on his part at the moment. No, he'd deal with this stupid connection on his own. He had an idea or two already.

But back to the matter at hand, Narcissa's sick? Harry never considered Lucius' wife to be of some importance. He saw her occasionally picking up Draco instead of Lucius at Christmas department train, but never acted on the chance to talk to her. Given the circumstances, he wasn't sure if he'd ever take the option of getting to know her. She is Lucius' wife. She must have worked in the background of Voldemort's network.

_Underground network- the room was dark. There was barely any light. I- Voldemort, sneered at Nott. My loyal servant said I can't take _it_ out. I have- Voldemort have- Crucio!_

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose- irritated and slightly freaked out at the sudden vision. He recognized the place, some elegant dining table but he never figured out where it was. Though he didn't recognized the man Tom's torturing right now.

"-Which is exactly why you should enter the ranks. Gaining another Malfoy will forgive your Mother's current state. I have my own problems within the ministry. The Dark Lord wanted new links in Hogwarts."

New links. Blast it, Tom's got contacts here and- I knew it! He wants the students now.

"I…I need more time to think. I don't want the Dark Mark… yet."

Draco's… hesitating?

Harry wasn't sure on how to approach the Slytherin 'Prince' now. Knowing Draco to be part of the list of people Tom would consider giving the mark didn't surprise Harry, but the fact that Draco was indecisive about it is. Harry was never one to pin the parents' faults to their children, but considering how Draco always blabbered about how 'My Father will hear this. He'll ruin your life', he always thought Draco would be ecstatic to join Luci-

"By Salazar,_ Potter?_" Not paying attention that Draco had ended the hush hush conversation with his Father, Harry didn't see him running to his direction and bumped into him, his cloak loosened and revealed the scar head boy.

For a moment, neither moved. None of them know what to do, what the other expects- oh they know alright, but should they act on the obvious conclusion of this?

"You're his proxy." Harry stated quietly.

Encouraged by the stupefied gaze on Potter's face- not his was any better- despite the utter surprise that Potter quickly concluded his inevitable role, Draco snorted, "Obviously. You stalked me."

"How modest of you. I was in fact, on my way to your room and intend to asphyxiate you." He countered smoothly.

"Spouting nonsense isn't going to help you, Potter."

"In other words: you have no idea what asphyxiation means."

He was wondering though. Part of him knew Draco would be Tom's followers sooner or later, but it was still hard to adjust his mindset from viewing Draco as a threat and not a school yard bully turned reluctant ally since third year by default of their truce.

Draco, dropping any lingering pretense, shoved Harry back and pointed his wand at Harry's underside jaw, pinning it painfully against the skin, "And you're a fool to not have run away from me. I could kill you right now. The Dark Lord-"

"Oh, yeah. The Dark Lord will be _pleased_ to hear the right to enact the death of the one who has humiliated him repeatedly be taken by his Death Eater's son." Grunting his words with obvious sarcasm was proving to be not very difficult despite the threat of painful curses right beneath his head.

Draco faltered, and Harry seized his chance. Pushing Draco away, he grabbed his cloak-thankful that it had slipped behind him and wasn't noticed by Draco thanks to the Notice-Me-Not charm he always placed on it- and sprinted off, abandoning Draco and heading back through the Great Hall to reach Gryffindor Tower.

* * *

**Danny Fenton**

Not one to turn a blind eye, he was quite tolerant to almost anything. But this is a bit ridiculous.

"May I ask what in the worlds are you two doing?" He looked up with disbelieving eyes- and a bit of awe- at the _very_ suggestive and pointed tapestry. Two redheads, identical twins, were flying on a broom in front of a giant banner that hangs right in front of the Great Hall's entrance door. One thing to note is that they're a mess of colors, _hideous_ colors of soft pink and dirty chestnut, and their hands are holding those sticks of wood they call wands that are currently shooting a stream of green colored water to fill in the lines that has got to be Umbridge's skin.

"We can ask you the-"

"-same question, new bloke."

'Definitely twins,' he thought idly while trying to look at the two little person and not the banner of poorly drawn hybrid of pink pig snout and green frog's body of the DADA Professor.

"…I'm just gonna leave," before he could took a step forward the twins land down and muttered a quick _Sueiya Avera_ and they were clean.

"Whoa…" the two blocked his way, "Wait just a minute, lad. Can't-"

"-let you go away knowing what we're-"

"-doing. They'd suspend us. This is our first master-"

"-piece since she forbid us from our-"

"-passion." They finished together.

He had a very hard time processing all of that. It wasn't everyday he got to meet twins that had so much in sync. People like that are very rare. He couldn't help but feel like he's missing something. "I'm pretty sure everyone hates her. I won't tell anyone, promise." There, he would never break a promise.

The twins seemed to sense his honesty, "Alright, we'll trust you for now. No harm done."

"I'm Fred. And this is George."

"Hi, Fred, George."

"No, I'm George. And this is Forge."

"No, I'm Gred. Sod off, George!"

"eh…" Hurling doesn't seem so bad.

"I think we broke him, dear brother of mine."

"Shall we escort the young lady back to his room?"

"I'm not a gir-"

"Quite pitchy. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"-l. Stop ignor-"

"If you are thinking what I think you're thinking-"

"-ing me! Knock it off!"

"then we are definitely thinking the same thing." They finished together and left the befuddled fifth year with a grin, unfinished banner of degraded Umbridge forgotten.

'Now I remember why I hate identical twins.' He grimaced, and was going to say 'what the hell' and flew back to his bed when he saw a pair of feet- as in: the short end of a PJ pants and shoes and no body- sticking out of nowhere, running past the entrance.

He ran towards the arch and turned to the direction he saw it but he didn't see those running shoes- feet.

Maybe he should stop splitting himself into seven people. He's getting delusional each decade.

* * *

**Harry Potter**

Harry sighed in relief right after he spoke the Gryffindor's password. It's a good thing he started using the Notice-Me-Not charm and Silencing charm on his person whenever he used his cloak. But that was a close one. He had discarded any pretense and the charm weakened, sensing the lack of intent.

After spending almost approximately 4 years with the three, he knew his dorm mates were still sleeping. Their snoring capacity and volume remained unchanged.

'I wonder who could have stayed awake and took a stroll out in the open in the middle of the Hall, though.' He wondered as he neatly folded the cloak, re-charmed it so it'll stay hidden flat under the rug's slit beneath his relatively light trunk.

Taking one last look at the starless sky, he fell asleep, completely forgetting how much he hated sleeping because of his dreams.

* * *

**I know I promised to make it end at the potions class scene but I suddenly thought about introducing the twins in the middle and now I want to save that class for next chapter. I've been watching another pair of redhead twins- Hikaru and Kaoru in Ouran High School Host Club. I'm by no means their kind of shallow girl but I really love Haruhi..**


	4. Poll!

Hi, guys, I'm back! My laptop's fixed and I got my data back. I worked on this fic's rewritten version and I've changed a lot of things in it so I decided to post it as a new story later on. It's going to be called _Lose Heart and Gain Wisdom. _It starts out with Danny first; I finished his scene, and this is where I need you guys. I'm torn between three options of Harry's circumstances. Please vote on the poll in my profile: Should Harry:

a) be in his 5th year, stays as canon, with no dramatic plot twist due to the Hogwarts setting (need ideas, cause I'm lost on this one)

b) took his OWLs after the Tournament to drop out of Hogwarts when Hermione revealed that she was forced to leave the school because her parents couldn't take the fact that their daughter's life is always threatened each year. (I like this one, and if you choose this, what would you want Harry to do? Go with Sirius? Hermione? Hang out with the friends he made in Beauxbatons and Durmstrang? Took up training with Moody or Shacklebolt and got involved in ministry/media politics? Have Voldemort act earlier and kidnap him? Gimme varieties through review box or PM is welcome :3)

c) They had all graduated and Harry had just finished his appointment in Gringotts and became the Head of Black House and Potter House. Voldemort had been silent in the Wizarding world, instead setting up terror attacks in the muggle world and Harry had to convince the public that they need to act on it, to get people out of their heads thinking Voldemort won't harm the wizards and only muggles. Harry would need to show them that muggles shouldn't be underestimated but should also not be treated as if they were all enemies. This option would involve some muggles and magical creatures. (If you choose option b these things will come in too eventually, but at a later time. And Danny will be younger than Harry by 3 years)

Okay, can't wait for your suggestions!


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